Menu Plan for the week of Feb. 15, 2013: Sunday's Recipes

Pork and Celeriac Stew
Quinoa with Browned Shallots

Prepare the stew then have an hour or longer break while it cooks. We have quinoa with it for this meal and rice for the second night. Celeriac is a knobby root with a mild celery flavor.

Pork and Celeriac StewPreparation and cooking time: 1 hour, 40 minutesThe spices used in this are from a recipe for Wild Boar Stew, but work very well with domestic pork. The juniper berries give it a wintry, woodsy flavor. If you have the time, marinate the pork in the red wine for a few hours before cooking. This makes enough for 2 meals or serves 4.

The cutting: Cut pork into large pieces, 1 1/2" (4cm) cubes. Roughly chop Prosciutto. Peel carrots and cut into 2" (5cm) lengths. Cut each piece in half the long way. Cut the celeriac in quarters. Wrap the bit not being used in cling film and refrigerate. Peel the remaining quarters using a vegetable peeler or knife. Cut into sizes similar to or a bit larger than the carrots and keep in water until using. Peel the onion and slice vertically into wedges. Mince the garlic. Note: Use as much of the celeriac as needed so that you have an amount equal to the carrots. The cooking: Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add pork, a few pieces at a time and brown well on all sides. Remove to a plate if it gets crowded. Add Prosciutto, onions and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes. Return all pork to pot, add vegetables, spices, herbs, wine and stock. Cover and simmer 75 minutes.To finish: Remove pork and vegetables. Discard bay leaves. Increase heat under sauce. Dissolve cornstarch in water and
slowly add, stirring until thickened. Spoon sauce over pork and serve.

Quinoa with Browned ShallotsPreparation and cooking time: 25 minutes This near-perfect food of the Incas has slowly been gaining recognition in the culinary world. It cooks quickly and has a nutty flavor that goes with everything. The browned shallots add a dark, mahogany color to the quinoa and a bit of sweetness.